Next Week @TC

18/08/2023

• Winners at the Australian Education Awards

• TC on Channel 7

• Addam’s Family Tickets

• Student Video For Change Success

• ChildSafe Reminder

• TCNEWS - Who’s Who @TC? Students With Great Stories - Sydney and Cheryl: TC's Crown Jewels

Winners at the Australian Education Awards

TC is very proud to have won 2 awards at this year’s Australian Education Awards. TC was named Australian Secondary School of the Year - Government and Meg Bailey was named Australian Secondary School Teacher of the Year - Government. This is a great recognition for our whole community who make TC the great place that it is. We were acknowledged for our dedication of continual innovation and a wide range of TC initiatives including:

• Consistency of practice through the school

• Community Integrated Learning

• Entrepreneurial leadership and management of the school to create opportunities for staff and students

• TC Student Employability Program

• Student Post School Pathways (range)

• Staff collaboration across learning areas

• Introduction of PBL units at Entry

• Sex Ed Program

• Student Leadership Process

• And much more

To read more, revisit Bonnie’s TC NEWS article when we were shortlisted as a finalist for these awards: TC - 26/05/2023

TC on Channel Seven

After our exciting win at the Australian Education Awards channel 7 visited TC to learn about our jouney.

Addam’s Family Tickets

TC is proud to present:
The Addams Family Young@Part
Three shows only - 30 August, 31 August and 1 September at 7.00pm
Purchase your tickets on Trybooking before we sell out: https://www.trybooking.com/CJJFM

Student video for change success!

James Chong’s “Every Little Bit Counts” video made for Earth Week last year has made it into the Top 10 in the National Videos for Change comp. This is judged by media and science professionals. There is also a People’s Choice Award.

We’d love our TC Community to check out James’ video and vote for it if they like it as much as the judges have.

bit.ly/vfceverylittlebitcounts

ChildSafe Reminder

A reminder that students are unable to order food to be delivered at TC, whether UberEats or another service, either during or outside of school hours. We are unable to verify that delivery people are ChildSafe and therefore them being onsite or just outside school grounds can pose a risk for students. We remind families and students that we have a wonderful canteen! Follow them on Instagram here: Templestowe College Canteen (@templestowe_college_canteen) • Instagram photos and videos and sign up to their online ordering via TC - Canteen.

Katrina Katz
Assistant Principal - Community and Wellbeing

Who’s Who @TC? Students With Great Stories

Sydney and Cheryl: TC's Crown Jewels

For this term's Community Integrated Learning Week, jewellery-making students, Sydney and Cheryl, created some dazzling pieces! Their teacher Claire introduced the theme, 'Identity: I, Me, You', to her class, challenging them to create a piece of jewellery with wire wrapping techniques and an object of importance to them. Claire used the example of sea glass to describe symbolic meanings to her students. "You find glass on the beach which was originally made from sand. It's then rolling in the waves on the beach and the sand, and it's going back to the thing that it came from, like a cycle of existence."

Throughout the student-led elective, students work on several projects primarily using metals that can be combined with wood, plastics, stone and found objects. Students will carry out a variety of projects that teach the skills of designing and producing a piece of jewellery that is aesthetic, comfortable and practical for the wearer. For Sydney, "being able to make something out of miscellaneous objects you might not think to put together, having a physical object that I can change into something beautiful. That’s always been something I loved [about the class]."

This elective is also heavily supported by the school community, as many parents often reach out to donate materials. Claire has often incorporated unconventional items that have been donated, into a classroom task. In the past, students have been asked to imagine a client and interview them, focusing on their age and where the client imagine themselves wearing the jewellery. The students then design a piece based on that." In the past, students have been tasked with incorporating an old heirloom and shells that were found on a beach from a client's honeymoon.

The class also looks at the ethics around the long-term effects of their work. This includes considering what waste products there are and if you can reuse the waste and upcycle the discarded items. Environmentalism remains a major concept of the class as Claire believes, "we have to have a mindset of ethical practice in all our work". "

Before beginning to make their accessories for the identity task, Claire taught her students how to make their own wire and different wrapping techniques as well as how to incorporate different objects like glass and stones into their works. She also employs learning methods such as mind maps and sketching to help her students achieve their learning outcomes.

For the identity piece, Cheryl made a Chinese cultural necklace, using a golden headband, a pair of earrings from home, red satin rattail cord, and light cyan thread. Cheryl's mum also assisted her with the project, teaching her how to tie the knots for the rope and tassels. The process involved using upcycled resin she had made and sanding it down to make a beautiful soft object. This resin was also used to wrap around the main focus of the piece, a butterfly. Its wings were then stitched with wire, and suspended on a chain to create a fabulous necklace.

Sydney created a gorgeous hairpin. They explained the object they chose was an "old paper aeroplane charm given to me by my first friend before I left England. For a while, I wore the bracelet adorned with that charm everywhere. It felt like it was the only thing I had. That things would work out eventually. I stopped wearing that bracelet as I tried to find new hope, but it remained very dear to me and I wanted to give it a second life in this piece."

It's special to see that for many of our students in Claire's class, jewellery making is a way for them to cope when experiencing a tough time. As Sydney explained, the piece they created was very personal,  "I was able to give a second life to something that had all but been forgotten but still remained very important to me."

You may have seen some of Sydney's work on exhibit outside the library or Cheryl's in the front office display cabinet. Claire admires both of her students' skills in production, their adventurous nature, strong concepts and original work. "Their production is excellent and the way they've brought the elements together and sketched them and really played with the ideas in their mind, it's the full design process, that's probably what makes their work successful", she exclaimed.

Currently, the jewellery students have been selling some of their works in our little community markets and the Design, Technology and Arts Exhibition. But Claire would like to start displaying their works around the school so people in our community could purchase them, so keep an eye out for that!

Aside from jewellery making, Cheryl enjoys drawing, video games and sketching. Sydney is also passionate about baking as it lets them "be creative and hands-on while also making people happy with delicious food". In the future, Cheryl is interested in becoming an illustrator and Sydney would like to go into the food industry. For now, Cheryl is looking forward to making more necklaces and experimenting with other accessories. Sydney is most excited about their own personal development and being able to better reflect themselves in the jewellery they make. "I’ve almost always struggled with opening myself up and in jewellery, that meant my pieces lack meaning. Recently I’ve been able to show more of myself in my jewellery and I’m excited to have more opportunities to make pieces that better represent me", she stated.

By Bonnie-Mai Smith
TC Journalist

Last Weeks Announcements

• NAPLAN Results Available on Compass

• Getting to know TC

• Secondary School Transition for Neurodiverse Children Webinar

• Event in the community - Taylor Swift Trivia Night!

• Clubs Term 3

• Student Employability Skills Program Advertising - TC Journalist!

NAPLAN results available on Compass

Last week the results from this years NAPLAN were sent home to the families of all our Entry and FLE 2 students who completed the assessments earlier this year. These results are also visible on Compass. Please log into your family account>View Academic Reports>Analytics>Student Results>NAPLAN to see their results.

Getting to know TC

Did you know that TC has a great resource to find out how about our policies and processes work in our unique setting? https://tc.vic.edu.au/getting-to-know-tc. We welcome any feedback and suggestions for additional information that might help, especially for our families that are new to TC.

Secondary School Transition for Neurodiverse Children Webinar

Book tickets here: Secondary School Transition for Neurodiverse Children Tickets | TryBooking Australia

Event in the community - Taylor Swift Trivia Night!

Clara Shade, FLE 2 (MAP) is a dedicated Swiftie, and a regular attendee of TC's own Taylor Swift Fan Club. She is co-hosting a Taylor Swift trivia night as a fundraiser for the Montmorency Community Hub on Sat 19th August.

Whether you're a dedicated Swiftie or simply someone who appreciates extraordinary talent, this all-ages trivia fundraiser promises a fun evening with a deep dive into the world of this iconic artist.

But this event is about more than just proving your Swiftie status; it's an opportunity to make a difference. By participating in our trivia fundraiser, you'll be helping keep the Monty Hub activities going.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Book at: Taylor Swift Trivia - Monty Hub Fundraiser (Montmorency VIC Australia) Tickets, Sat 19/08/2023 at 6:30 pm | Eventbrite
When: Saturday 19th August. Doors open at 6pm for a 6.30pm start
Age: Suitable for all ages (children must be supervised).
BYO: Food and drinks (no alcohol), gold coins for activities.
Tickets: Must be pre-purchased.
No need to bring a table/team, you can be allocated one on arrival.
Any questions, please message Clara Shade on Teams or ring Katharine Shade on 0408 587 297

Clubs Update for Term 3

The Student Employability Skills Program is advertising!

Read the full job description and pay details on the community teams pages or here: Student Employability Skills Program (sharepoint.com) (student log in required).

Previous Weeks Announcements

• We are hiring - Administration and Data Entry - Short Term Position

• Students Leaving the School Grounds at Lunchtime

• Updated Time Out Policy

• Connect Activities in Term

We are hiring - Administration and Data Entry - Short Term Position

STUDENTS LEAVING SCHOOL GROUNDS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY

A reminder that only Grads should be leaving the school grounds during the school day, unless those non Grad students have been signed out by parents. Please ensure that students have enough food for the day if needed or money to be able to buy food from the canteen so that there are not any reasons for students to leave the school grounds.

Updated Time Out Policy

Following on from our Strategic review last year, it was identified that we needed to review our “No work, no stay” policy. We have been working with the Community and we now have a revised “Time out policy”. The updated policy can be found below. This policy has the “why” of preserving the learning environment. We do encourage all families to have a quick read of this policy.

Please find link to update Time Out Policy

Connect activities in Term 3

Term 3 is a busy time in Connect as we have both our Course Counselling and Subject Selection processes as well as our Consent education program. The schedule for the Term is as follows:

The teaching of Consent in all Victorian government schools is mandatory and an essential curriculum component of the Victorian Curriculum. Schools are expected to teach students about consent in an age-appropriate way from Foundation to Year 12.   If you would prefer your child not to attend the Consent classes, please email your child’s Community Executive team to opt out (as detailed in the Compass News post on 10th July.)

Who’s Who @TC? Students With Great Stories

Cate Reynolds for PM!

Cate Reynolds is fuelled by curiosity. It's mind-boggling to think that Cate is only a FLE 3 student and has achieved so much already. So far, they have been involved in TC's Peer Support Program, Queer Club, Manningham Youth Services, TC's College Council and the Zoo's Victoria Leadership Program. Now, Cate has just finished their work experience with Manningham Mayor Councillor Deirdre Diamante and Keith Wolahan, the Federal Member for Menzies. 

In our wide-ranging conversation, we talked about their passions, working alongside politicians and taking care of oneself in the midst of always being busy.

What are you most excited about or passionate about?
I am most excited about change-making. I enjoy advocacy and change-making of all kinds. But mainly, advocating for communities that are underrepresented.

Outside of the hard work you do, what would you say your hobbies are?
I watch a lot of youtube, and I enjoy my endless amounts of podcasts that investigate random stuff. I'm trying to get as much trivia in my brain!

Interesting! What sort of podcasts and youtube content do you consume?
Kat, [one of TC's Assistant Principals] and I have the same favourite podcast - MAMAMIA OUTLOUD and probably the Phillip Defranco show (a daily news show), and I also love watching the Vice News story deep-dives - very on-brand considering my Australian political show addiction, like, 'Q+A', 'Foreign Correspondent', 'Gruen' and 'In Our Blood' [basically a] bunch ABC shows.

So, currently, what sort of opportunities are you involved in?
I did the YLAA - leader up program last year. Then I also did the Zoos Leadership Program last year too. This year I'm doing the ambassdors program at Vic SRC (Victorian Student Representative Council). At Council, I have helped at with some staffing stuff at the youth services (helping interview etc), I did a speech for IDAHOBIT Day and I spoke at an LGBTQIA+ parents evening as well. I also do debate for the senior team through school. As well as student panels and stunion (Student Union) stuff. In terms of school, I went from Community Leader to College Council student representative. I also have done some work with the Telethon Kids Institute, contributing to a few PHD students, projects on LGBT youth journeys, coming out and encountering mental health.

Before working with Cr Deirdre Diamante and MP Keith Wolahan, did you have any key mentors or people who influenced who you are?
I have a couple of teachers here at TC that, have all had an incredible impact on me as a person, and reframed my attitudes towards different things. In the community, there are a couple of youth workers who I trust for advice and such.

Doing your Year 10 work experience with someone like Cr Deirdre Diamante and MP Keith Wolahan is so cool! How did the opportunities come about? 
I gave a speech at the Manningham Council for IDAHOBIT day in mid-May, speaking about my experiences with homophobia and transphobia and as part of that, I met the mayor. For Keith, Dierdre cc'ed me in an email to one of his staffers, so I just got put in contact per se. I wanted to work there because it isn't an area I've learnt a ton about prior, but also, working at a federal level of parliament has always been a point of interest for me, as it has more international considerations and a global perspective. 

During the work experience week, what did you learn from the people you worked with and what do you think you taught them?
I learnt a lot. For one, people don’t like talking about policy day to day, I did this a lot and it put me in an awkward position. But policy is something I absolutely love so, to me it’s a timeless pursuit, but not for everyone. I hope I was able to broaden the perspectives of the people in the office.

You mentioned you learnt a lot about speaking with politicians specifically, were there any other interesting things you noticed while completing your work experience? 
Yes, politicians' offices flip-flop between a couple of modes. There are moments when we work together to fix the office's Wi-Fi or the moments when you get to speak with local Macedon community members or ring local businesses. It was cool to learn the variety involved in that.

Were there any memorable characters or moments you came across during the week?
[Laughs] I can’t answer this, otherwise I’ll get a defamation suit. But next to Keith’s office is a Korean sandwich restaurant. I went there during my lunch break and it was absolutely awesome.

While working in this field, what were the skills you had to have to complete your work experience?
I think one of the very few skills I actually consider myself to have is a very weird ability to go after things. If I see something that might be cool to do, I go after it, I send so many emails and sometimes no one gets back to me, which is fine, but it's even better when they do. If you want to do something, go after it, the worst thing that could happen is no.

Along your work experience journey, what were the key sources of support you encountered?
I spoke and was supported by, the careers advisor at school, Kate. She always was a cheerleader in my corner! It was [also] awesome to see the support I got from school in terms of, making sure my attendance was all ok!

I can imagine, this sort of work experience was no easy feat, what did you find the most difficult or challenging part of the experience? 
Finding the confidence to reach out to my contacts once I got them and that friction of actually sending that [cold call] email is always super hard.

At the same time I’m sure it was a great learning experience, what did you find most rewarding?
Speaking to community members and constituents about the issues impacting real people.

As someone active in both the Manningham and TC communities, how do you juggle all of your activities and school?
It is quite the battle, but I have learned this the hard way. You have to take your time and start small, beginning first and foremost with prioritizing myself. If that means deleting Instagram for two weeks, I’ll do that, [in fact] I did that last week. But it also may mean, making an effort to bring snacks to school, so I have energy. I find in my life that [people] make me motivated and excited. Excitement is most important, if I can’t find that spark, then often I can fall by the wayside.

What is next for you in your work/leadership? What are you looking forward to?
I am looking forward to turning 16! A lot of things in youth leadership are age-gated and I really think I could have a shot at doing some stuff in Canberra with the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition or the Office for Youth. I want to dig in and actually make some change to people's lives, I think I’ve been talking for too long – which may just be my self-deprecating nature. 

I’m sure lots of people are looking at you thinking ‘wow, how could I do this?’ What’s a piece of advice you would give to other student leaders or students wanting to get into leadership?
Talk to people! I have been in learning mode for years. I always have questions to ask those that I admire. I ask what they disliked most about the process of doing something, I ask how they find balance and what is their WHY? And seek out opportunities, don’t wait for the school to advertise an opportunity, seek it out, make it your own. Sure, take opportunities when you’re offered, but if you want to do something, do not wait for permission. Also, please learn how to be selective and say no sometimes.

With so many opportunities lined up for you, what are you hoping to do after school?
Hard to say, I like this student change-making space I'm in, but I honestly think that the world is going to explode when I am out of school too. I like the idea of following people like Sally Rugg or other less spoken-about figures that I think are epic. I’d like to go to university, but I reckon I will take a break and earn as much money as I can, cause I would like to go and do my degree overseas, so it’s going to be really expensive. In addition, I want to apply to Deep Springs College, but they only take 12-16 students a year, so it depends if I am able to get in. I also want to try other Unis like, 'Minerva' for the international aspect or 'Brown' for its open curriculum. But I would also love to just go to a normal Uni and have that student experience. I don’t know, but also, don’t need to know at this stage.

It isn’t surprising that Cate has already made a huge mark on the Manningham and TC Community. They are a real go-getter, someone who goes after what they want.

By Bonnie-Mai Smith
TC Journalist

All That Jas: Lights, Curtains, Action!

Over the July School Holidays, one of TC's very own superstars graced the Drum Theatre Stage as Princess Anna from the hit movie musical, Frozen. For Jasmine Fuga, musical theatre encompasses every aspect of her life. She is a one-of-a-kind person who instantly lights up any room she walks in with an infectious smile and bubbly personality.

Musical Theatre and Performing Arts have been a long-time passion for Jasmine, ever since she went to the theatre for the first time to see 'The Lion King' with her grandparents.

"I fell in love with the idea of getting to put on a costume and transform into a completely new character on stage for a while", she says. "It’s so much fun! And it feels freeing in a way."

The performer's deep love of theatre also stems from an amazing arts teacher she had in primary school. This mentor's, dedication to school-wide productions greatly inspired her as she still keeps in contact with Kirsty to this day, even helping out in a few of her productions.

"I don’t think I properly appreciated it at the time, but she would spend hours after school rehearsing with the year six leads and making sure every prop, costume and set was right," she recalls. "All because she really cared and was passionate about providing the best possible performing arts opportunities for students."

From there, musical theatre took on a larger role in her life. For over six years now, Jasmine has been a frequent performer in musical theatre productions outside of school. This includes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Mary Poppins, Beauty and the Beast, Cats, Newsies, Moana and Frozen.

"Musical theatre is all about storytelling through singing, dancing, and acting which is what I love to do!", she explains.

She had previously worked with Masquerade Youth Productions, last year, in the Australian Premiere of Newsies Jr. Frozen has always been Jasmine's favourite Disney movie and Anna her favourite princess so she was really keen to be a part of this companies show.

Auditioning for the role was a two-step procedure, firstly filming a video audition and then an in-person callback. The audition process can be quite nerve-wracking for the star, but, "getting the phone call and finding out I had gotten the role made it all worth it!" she exclaimed.

The most difficult part of the experience for her was the quick rehearsal process. From auditions to the show, the cast only had one week of full-day rehearsals and two-weekend rehearsals to get everything right. Usually, shows will rehearse for quite a few months, before lights, curtains, and action.

"It was challenging to pull everything together in such a short time. What helped was having such a committed and talented cast that put in the work before rehearsals to learn lines, songs, and dances," Jasmine explains.

Performing as Anna in a production of Frozen the Musical, was unique for the songstress, as the show was specifically adapted for younger audiences. For Jasmine, this meant interacting with the kids after the show, in the sing-along portion and during the meet-and-greet. For many of the children in the audience, it was the first show they would have ever seen, so introducing them to live theatre was a special experience.

"You could see all the little girls' faces light up when they saw their favourite characters on stage," she beamed. "It made my heart melt when during one of the shows I heard a little girl call out “Look it’s the real Anna!”."

Overall, being a part of the Frozen Musical was an opportunity of a lifetime for Jasmine. "It was really great getting to work alongside such an amazing cast that were all so talented in so many ways, she explains. 
"It was also an amazing opportunity to get to work with industry professionals on the creative team, their feedback was really helpful, and I could see how when they changed or altered things even something as simple as a line I said, how it gave the scene such a different affect and made it better."

One of our English teachers, Michelle Parker, attended one of the July shows and "may be biased" but believes that "Jasmine stole the show in her performance as Anna in Frozen the Musical."

Michelle recounts that Jasmine, "exudes confidence on stage and has an incredible singing voice that blew me away! She's definitely got that superstar aura and it's infectious! It was clear she was a leader on stage and big support to her cast mates as well. The best scenes were the ones with Elsa; they had so much chemistry and nailed every line. In the singalong, at the end, you could tell how engaged she was with making it fun for the little kids who had come to watch, which was extra sweet."

Because of her experience in musical theatre, Jasmine brings a unique voice to TC. Her knowledge in teamwork and leadership as part of working with different companies gave Jasmine an edge as a blue community leader in 2021. She also brings the theatrics weekly, to Taylor Swift Fan Club (the best TC club, of course). As one of the most active members, of the group, she has delivered presentations dissecting her favourite Taylor Swift Bridges. In week six, Jasmine will be presenting about Eras Tour Outfit Ideas, so make sure you come along!

Whether it's teaching at her aunty's dance studio or auditioning for amateur theatre, Jasmine wants theatre to always be a part of her life. She also loves working with children, so is thinking of a career in early childhood as well. She is currently not in any other shows at the moment and will be on a family holiday for our Adam's Family production unfortunately, but is looking forward to next year’s, Masquerade Youth Productions show and hopefully more TC productions in the future!

By Bonnie-Mai Smith 
TC Journalist

Neigh for Naomi and her Animals Program Legacy

"I feel calm, happy and relaxed when I am around them." 

For a few years now, Naomi Bruinsma has been one of the familiar faces of TC's amazing Animals Program. 

Growing up around animals is what initially sparked her passion for them. When she was seven, Naomi received her first rabbit, Mia. "This gave me a lot of joy and I loved being with her," she recounts. At home, she's quite busy, taking care of her cat, Rosie, maltese cross rescue dog, Julie and four chickens named Angelica, Eliza, Peggy and Cornelia, named after the sisters in the beloved musical Hamilton. 

Since Naomi was an entry student at TC, she has been leading hundreds of visitors on tours around the animals' program. Now she trains other like-minded students to deliver the full animals experience as well. Also, for a year now, Naomi has been the Head Keeper of our two adorable guinea pigs, Ginny and Baloo, who are 2 and a half and four years old.

These students work alongside our brilliant animals teachers and class leaders to provide the best possible care and inform them if there are any issues with the health or wellbeing of the animals. Additionally, their role includes finding holiday homes during term breaks for rabbits, guinea pigs and rats and running training sessions that help upskill the class leaders or any interested students. In previous years at TC, Naomi has been Head Keeper of the aviary, skinks, rabbits and natives.

"The animal teachers have been very important to my development in animal care and public speaking," she said. "Also previous graduates of the animals program have been a great assistance and source of information and inspiration."

Recently Naomi has also joined TC's Circus Club and has found it to be very enjoyable and an opportunity to learn some brand new skills.

A typical school day in Naomi's life is full of caring for animals! During recess and lunch, you'll be able to find her either attending a meeting in E-Wing, hanging out with the animals or discussing the latest musicals with her friends, at the moment they are "obsessed with & Juliet". After fourth period, Naomi will either go home or to horseriding. 

Following the animal lover theme, at the moment, Naomi is passionate about horse riding. She has a group of friends that are all competing with each other and she loves how "we support [and encourage] each other and celebrate [our] achievements". So far, Naomi has competed in six first-grade dressage competitions and placed second overall with positive feedback from the judges. In her most recent dressage competition, grade five, she placed seventh overall, also with positive comments from the judges.

Naomi was also one of the minds behind the one-week bin ban last year, which was subject to much debate. The project was entirely run by our VCAL students aiming "to help people think about the amount of rubbish and waste brought to school," she explained. The team asked our community to consider what we purchase and make better choices around the packaging in which our food arrives. The initiative also promoted other alternatives, such as using reusable containers to combat unnecessary waste.

After the trial ended, Naomi found the experience to be an opportunity to learn and grow as a person leading a project. "We had a few people, both staff and students, that were concerned about the project, but I think it went really well," she said. 

More recently, Naomi has also started a little online business with her Dad, Steve, 'nay & co designs', combining her love of nature with her interest in art. 'nay & co' aims to "create a space where resources can be found for both children and adults [to] learn more about the natural environment, have opportunities to take action and purchase ethical and environmentally sustainable products." 

On the Nay & Co website, you can purchase products that allow people to connect with Naomi's mission to learn more about the environment, such as t-shirts, baby onesies and mugs adorned with adorable cartoons of Aussie animals. Jewellery trees are also available to purchase and are perfect to "store precious memories". The holder has been handmade by Naomi on a thick plywood panel that has been sourced locally, made from carefully selected Eucalypt Veneers and formaldehyde-free glue adhesives. 

Naomi Bruinsma is set on pursuing animals as a career. Working with animals at TC has given her real-world experience in the field she wants to pursue. "I am excited about my future in working with animals and really look forward to the challenges and joys," she stated.

By Bonnie-Mai Smith 
TC Journalist

You can check out nay & co designs here:
Website: www.nayandcodesigns.com 
Facebook: Nayandco_designs (facebook.com)
Instagram: Nay & co designs (@nayandco_designs) • Instagram photos and videos 

The Sign According to Kate Dickenson

As a young person growing up, Kate Dickenson found her passion in the ocean, paramedics and Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and knew that that was her destiny. No matter the time or stress it takes to be involved in so many activities inside and outside of school. She simply knew she would be a 'multipotentialite', someone with many interests and creative pursuits in life. Now a 14-year-old FLE 2 student at TC, Kate has realised her dream of becoming one of the most driven and involved students at our school.

If you have been to the canteen you may have seen Kate making your morning coffee or on Friday selling you some fresh produce on the permaculture farm. She is also involved on the Connect TV production team, filming and presenting segments for the show. Her volunteer work at TC includes but is not limited to making the curry for the last three years, helping organise and run the animals Trivia night, serving as a consultant on Animals tours, peer support, formal planning, student panels and more! Outside of TC, Kate is involved in Basketball Australia’s 3x3 Hustle and was asked to ‘test’ a new fun-fields waterslide with Fox FM, producing three ads that played throughout the park in the Summer. She also makes time to volunteer at Foodbank and Expression Australia.

Since she was little, Kate was dragged around to basketball tournaments with her mum who is a referee. Sometimes these days would be over 10 hours. This is the moment when Kate decided instead of being bored, she could do something useful. After a while of helping, Kate is now employed by, 'Basketball Australia’s 3x3 hustle'. She helps with running tournaments, running merch stands, scoring, customer service, event set up, stock take and other odd jobs. This opportunity has taken her to Tasmania, Ballarat, Echuca and many other funky places. "It is such a fun job," she said. "I have got to work at so many different events from junior nationals to men’s pro games where I got asked to score the men’s grand final with Olympic and NBL players." Kate believes that she has learnt a lot from this job which has helped her develop the skills she has today.

Kate is the kind of person who is always busy and puts 100% into each new venture she has, despite the stress it can sometimes cause her, which I found quite relatable. "Honestly, I have no idea how I do a lot ... so sometimes I get lost," she told me. "I absolutely love everything I do but can get stressful sometimes... I like to keep myself busy so take on a lot. I am also very much a people pleaser so [I] say yes to just about everything which most of the time is probably not a good thing." [However in saying that] "Every single job I have brings me so much joy and I wouldn’t change it for a thing."

A typical day in her life begins at 6:30 to get ready for her bus at 7:00. Arriving at school around 7:45 to start work at the canteen, finishing at 9:00, just in time for her first period. Recess one usually entails another shift at the canteen or just going for a walk, "I love finding high places and just sitting and watching the world," she expressed.

Then off to second period. During Recess two, she will usually see her friends for 20 minutes and then film for Connect TV, during her next period. At lunchtime, she told me I could find her at  "any of the five meetings I should be at, volunteering at whatever event is running that day, chatting to teachers about events, running a community event or lying on the floor to decompress."

When school finishes, Grandpa is there to pick her up. Kate told me about the deep bond she shares with her Grandpa, "we get a hot chocolate and sit at a park" she said. "This has been a reoccurring event for at least five years twice a week". Her Grandpa then drives Kate to Burwood for competitive aerobics. Her night routine includes walking her dog Finny, watching some sort of first responder documentary as she is fascinated by that world, eating dinner (Tacos are her favourite!) and completing some math homework, "you’re welcome Alyssa," she said. She then tucks into bed with her cat, Choctop, around 9:30 to start it all over again.   

Other days may include more meetings, preparation for an event, working at the permaculture farm, Tissu classes (aerial silks/aerial circus) or some sort of extracurricular work.

Kate's hard work definitely does not go unnoticed. Manager of communications, student course planning and student employability, Sophie has worked alongside Kate for a while now and describes Kate as "such a positive person [who] is really out there looking to do her best and most of the time that's to benefit other people." She also admires how Kate "goes 'all in' in everything she does".

In 2019, during lockdown, like most Aussies, Kate would be watching the press conferences on TV. However, she was drawn to watching the Auslan interpreters instead of the presenters. Her impressive quality of engrossing herself in something she finds interesting led to her passion for Auslan. Using the internet, Kate self-taught the alphabet and learnt some basic signs before moving on to listening to music and attempting to learn the songs. This was a technique she used to practice since she was not able to with other people.

When lockdown was finally over, Kate promptly completed all of the 'Expression Australia courses (1,2 and 3)'. Now she volunteers and meets with deaf hard-of-hearing people to improve her Auslan. She is also currently learning how to sign the TC Addams Family Musical, which will be playing in late August, with one Auslan signed night.

One of her biggest accomplishments was getting to perform with Kate Miller-Heidke in Auslan. Earlier this year, Kate was invited to perform on stage with Miller-Heidke at one of her concerts in New South Wales. She was given the opportunity to sign one of her songs in Auslan to a crowd of over 1,000 people which was "absolutely amazing and terrifying all at once," she said. "The feeling of being on stage and having everyone watching you is the coolest feeling ever."

After the performance, Kate recollects she had so many people come and congratulate her, but the moment that stood out was when "a person who was deaf came up and thanked me in tears just hugging me," she said. "She signed to me that that is her favourite song and I had made her day which was my highlight of the day."

A couple of weeks later, ABC national radio got in touch with Kate and she was interviewed on live radio about that experience. Which she describes as "nearly just as cool but just as terrifying as the performance itself. "

Kate has also brought her Auslan skills to TC! She has been keen to incorporate Auslan into school events such as music concerts, school plays and assemblies. As we have quite a few deaf and hard of hearing students at our school and students with deaf or hard of hearing family members, Kate wants to be able to "make everything as accessible as possible [as that] is what TC is all about so that is what I have been trying to do with my Auslan."

The first major TC event Kate signed for was the 'Living Culture' concert. She had a blast and found the best part was meeting two audience members who were deaf after the show. Kate reflects that the most challenging part for her was herself, "just getting the confidence to get out of my own head and do what I want to do," she said. "I know I probably stuffed up some signs on the first night purely because I was so nervous". But the feeling of getting to do what she loves outways it all. "I have so might joy signing and signing songs that it just made me really happy," she said.

The elements of student leadership can be overwhelming, especially when taking a look at Kate's resume, but she wants other students to know that they have "just got to give it a go and ... should take every opportunity you can because you never know where it may take you."

In terms of what is next for Kate at TC, she wants to continue to share her knowledge of Auslan and is looking to apply for school captain in the next few years. Outside of school, Kate is looking forward to attending TAFE when she turns sixteen to accomplish Auslan certificates.

By Bonnie-Mai Smith
TC Journalist